The Gratitude Diary

September 14, 2009

A gratitude diary can raise your mood and improve your life.

In a series of experiments on gratitude and its effects on mood, Seligman, Steen and Peterson, (2005), asked a group of participants to write down "three good things in life". The participants were asked to do this once a week. After a month, they noticed that they were happier and less depressed. They continued to report feeling happier three and six months later.

All you need is a notebook, something to write with and 5 minutes once a week. Write down 3 things that you re grateful for. These can be things that made your life better or happier that week i.e. changes you have made, or a nice thing someone did for you or just something that made you feel good.

Sample from a Gratitude Diary

Week 1 (31 Aug to 6 Sep 2009)
1) Went for a 30 minute walk and felt really good afterwards.
2) Finished that job for the boss at work. He said thank you. I am glad he recognized my hard work.
3) Made a joke at dinner, everyone laughed.

Week 2 (7 Sep to 13 Sep 2009)
1) Had a chat with my neighbors.
2) Went for a coffee after work with colleagues. I learnt we have a lot more in common than I thought.
3) Had a really good night's sleep and felt a lot of energy when I woke up.

In the first week, some people find it takes some time to think of 3 things.

By the end of one month it becomes much easier and they start to notice a lot more things in life to appreciate. This contributes to an overall improvement in mood. In the same experiment, participants found that by regularly keeping a gratitude diary, they exercised more regularly, had a more optimistic view of life and felt much better about their lives overall.

References:
1) Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions by Seligman, Martin E. P.; Steen, Tracy A.; Park, Nansook; Peterson, Christopher. American Psychologist. Vol 60(5), Jul-Aug 2005, 410-421.